(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
You can use ~ to refer to the bottom one of a pair of things.
She bit her ~ lip.
...the ~ deck of the bus...
The upper layer of felt should overlap the ~.
...the ~ of the two holes.
? upper
ADJ: ADJ n, the ADJ, the ADJ of n
2.
You can use ~ to refer to the bottom part of something.
Use a small cushion to help give support to the ~ back.
...fires which started in the ~ part of a tower block.
? upper
ADJ: ADJ n
3.
You can use ~ to refer to people or things that are less important than similar people or things.
Already the awards are causing resentment in the ~ ranks of council officers...
The nation’s highest court reversed the ~ court’s decision...
The higher orders of society must rule the ~.
? higher
ADJ: ADJ n, the ADJ
4.
If you ~ something, you move it slowly downwards.
Two reporters had to help ~ the coffin into the grave...
Sokolowski ~ed himself into the black leather chair...
‘No movies of me getting out of the pool, boys.’ They dutifully ~ed their cameras.
VERB: V n prep/adv, V pron-refl prep/adv, V n
~ing
...the extinguishing of the Olympic flame and the ~ing of the flag.
N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n
5.
If you ~ something, you make it less in amount, degree, value, or quality.
The Central Bank has ~ed interest rates by 2 percent...
VERB: V n
~ing
...a package of social measures which included the ~ing of the retirement age.
N-UNCOUNT: usu N of n
6.
If someone ~s their head or eyes, they look downwards, for example because they are sad or embarrassed.
She ~ed her head and brushed past photographers as she went back inside...
She ~ed her gaze to the hands in her lap.
? raise
VERB: V n, V n
7.
If you say that you would not ~ yourself by doing something, you mean that you would not behave in a way that would make you or other people respect you less.
Don’t ~ yourself, don’t be the way they are...
I’ve got no qualms about ~ing myself to Lemmer’s level to get what I want.
VERB: oft with brd-neg, V pron-refl, V pron-refl to n
8.
If you ~ your voice or if your voice ~s, you speak more quietly.
The man moved closer, ~ing his voice...
His voice ~s confidentially.
VERB: V n, V
9.
see also low